1. The Field of the Invention
This invention relates to anti-microbial materials, processes, and equipment, and more particularly to novel systems and methods for employing nitric oxide gas as a sterilizing agent.
2. The Background Art
Hospitals have a sterilization problem. Documented evidence shows that not everyone washes regularly nor washes effectively. As a result, staph infections still abound.
Nitric oxide (NO) is the subject of Nobel Prize-winning work. The significance of nitric oxide as a vascular relaxing factor is well established. Likewise, it appears that nitric oxide has a topical ability to trigger a reduction of inflammation. For example, nitric oxide has some ability to inhibit those factors responsible for engaging the inflammation response of the body.
Meanwhile, drug-resistant staph infections, antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, and the like have become a great concern for the modern medical community. Antibacterial soaps are washed into sewer systems, damaging colonies of useful bacteria as well as fostering resistance in undesirable bacteria. Accordingly, some express a concern that with such ubiquitous use of antibacterial compositions, desirable bacteria will decline in the environment while antibiotic-resistant strains of undesirable bacteria will thrive to displace them in the environment.
Likewise, equipment often requires preparation of liquid sterilization. Chemicals such as alcohol and other antiseptic preparations have environmental effects that may be undesirable, particularly in the long term. Meanwhile, metal instruments can be sterilized by heat in an autoclave. Nevertheless, many instruments now have disposable (i.e., low melting point) plastic handles with metal working surfaces.
An inexpensive process is needed that does not require the heat of an autoclave. What is needed is a material, method, and apparatus for sterilizing or purifying surfaces on instruments as well as skin surfaces of persons. Persons cannot tolerate the temperatures and isolation required for autoclaving instruments. Meanwhile, inexpensive instruments do not tolerate temperature either. What is needed is a manner, material, and system for destroying microbes on the skin of a user, and on surfaces of instruments and other tools used in medical facilities.